Chilled Warmth
by Genie For Your Wish
Summary: For an ice mage he was ironically warm. — GrayErza.


I give you, another oneshot filled with randomness and lots of over exaggerations OTL. And this time, it's not clothes themed again. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

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><p>Erza Scarlet was cold.<p>

No, to be more exact, Erza Scarlet was freezing to death. Her toes had gone numb from the biting cold and her teeth hadn't stopped chattering from the moment she turned off the lights to go to sleep. Her usually smooth arms were now covered in hundreds of pesky goosebumps that had risen at the touch of the cool air, and she was shivering greatly as she attempted to hug her arms tighter around her small waist. It wasn't that her heater wasn't working — which it was — nor was it the fact that she didn't have enough blankets — she had enough to last her the whole winter — no, in actual fact it was the cold hard truth that she had lost her sleeping companion, Mr Snuggles that made her shiver to death.

Mr Snuggles was a fifteen inch long pink rabbit Levy had given her on one of her childhood birthdays. He had extra soft fur and two enormous ears that often flopped downward rather than stand upright due to their abnormally large size. The stuffed rabbit was the sole reason why Erza could fall asleep so peacefully at night. He provided her a warmth that not even the heat of Natsu's flames could bring. Because Mr Snuggles was missing, Erza wasn't able to catch a wink of sleep. Her arms felt empty without the rabbit she usually hugged tightly to sleep and her bed just felt strangely cold. It was becoming blatantly obvious at how much warmth the rabbit could emanate, considering that his owner was suffering a fate worse than frostbite.

For the nth time that night, Erza flipped on her side, huddling herself into a ball under the pile of blankets she had covered herself in. She had tried making up for the loss of Mr Snuggles' warmth with her own but it was just no use. She needed Mr Snuggles damn it.

The only problem was that she didn't know where the rabbit had gone. Last time she checked, he was sitting rather comfortably on her bed but when she came home that evening, Mr Snuggles was missing. Erza had spent a full two hours rummaging through her five rooms and knocking on the other girls' doors searching for her stuffed rabbit but found no luck. Mr Snuggles was missing and there no trace of him left behind. She had ultimately decided that she would have been able to sleep comfortably without the rabbit but she was proven wrong rather quickly. No matter how high she turned up the heater nor how many blankets she threw onto herself, she was still so darned cold.

With a frustrated groan, Erza sat upright in her bed, the pile of blankets falling off the bed due to her sudden movements. She flickered on her lamp as she threw off her remaining covers and stepped out of bed, requipping into an oversized jumper and tracksuit pants. She had decided to go to the guild hall in hopes of finding something to warm her. Even though it was already one in the morning, Erza was certain that the guild hall was still open. Knowing her members, there was bound to be someone still awake and partying or causing trouble no matter what the time. With a resolute sigh Erza left the dormitory, heading into the direction of the Fairy Tail guild hall.

As expected, when she had arrived there was a bright light coming from inside the hall. She pushed open the doors, a sight of less than ten people inside greeting her. She noticed Wakaba and Cana still drinking in a corner, Bickslow and Freed conversing on one of the guild's rickety tables and Gray drinking an iced drink alone at another table. Considering the late time it was, the members simply greeted her with a nod before returning to their previous activities. Gray was the only one who didn't seem to notice her sudden presence as he appeared deep in thought, his hand gripping his mug rather tightly.

She walked across the guild to the table where Gray was at. Of all the people currently at the guild, Gray was the person she felt closest to. They had arrived at the guild before many others did, practically growing up together and were often paired together when completing group missions with the gang. It was only natural for her to feel particularly close to the ice mage.

Erza slid into the bench in front of Gray, deciding to stay silent until he finally noticed her presence. It wasn't long for him to finally take notice as he suddenly looked up, jumping slightly in surprise at the sight of the redhead. "Erza?" he questioned after regaining parts of his composure. It was surprising to see her at the guild so late. Usually she was one of the first few to head home the earliest so it was quite a rarity to see her around at this sort of time.

Erza nodded in response, her hands digging into her pockets for warmth. She had noticed the warm temperature of the hall when she entered but it still didn't do anything to quell her shivers, instead making her feel slightly colder.

"What are you doing here so late?" he asked curiously.

"I couldn't sleep so I came here," she replied, trying to hide the chattering of her teeth. She was still so very cold, even if the hall's heater was on full blast.

He raised an eyebrow in response. "Insomnia?" he suggested though he highly doubted it. Erza was never the insomniac type, she had always been one of the first to fall asleep once her head hit the pillow.

Erza shook her head. "I got cold," she answered curtly.

His brows furrowed in bewilderment. "You got cold? But doesn't Fairy Hills have like top notch heating? And it's not even that cold outside tonight in my opinion."

"You're an ice mage Gray. You're used to the cold so I don't think there's really any truth behind your words," Erza retorted.

He frowned. "Even so, I still know when it's cold or not and it's _not_ cold," he replied stubbornly, crossing his arms.

Her eyes stared at him in skepticism. "Have you even been outside yet?" As she suspected, Gray's cheeks began to flush a pale pink as he looked away in embarrassment.

A smug smirk made its way onto her face at his reaction. He looked up to see her smirking at him before he protested quite loudly, garnering the attention of the only members inside the hall. "So I may have not been outside the hall today but I still know when it's cold or not," he retorted lamely, knowing that Erza had won this battle.

Her smirk only grew wider as his retaliation. "See, how can I believe you when you haven't had firsthand experience? Compared to myself who has actually been outside, my words are more authentic than yours."

He scowled as he stood up abruptly, surprising Erza at his sudden actions. As she was about to voice a response, Gray took hold of her wrist before dragging her out of the guild hall despite her protests. The pair met the cool air of the wind the moment they stepped out of the hall, Erza's teeth starting to chatter after being unable to hold back. Gray had heard the chattering of her teeth as he turned to her in concern. Like he had been so adamant on, his thoughts that the outside temperature wasn't that cold were proved correct when he noticed the lack of goosebumps on his skin. However, after seeing the state of the requip mage beside him, he began to worry.

It wasn't even that cold but Erza's teeth were chattering and he could see her shivering beneath her clothes. He had also just realised that Erza's limbs were pressed quite tightly together in an attempt to provide warmth. To her surprise, Gray placed a hand to her forehead after having suspicions, trying to check for any rising temperatures. Relieved to see that the girl had no ongoing fevers, he pulled back his hand as his face contorted into one of both confusion and concern.

"Are you okay Erza?" he asked dumbly, knowing fully well that the girl was not okay. She was trembling for crying out loud.

She shot him a weak glare. "Does it look like I'm okay Gray? I'm so cold," she uttered, clenching her teeth to stop the chattering. When Gray placed a hand on her forehead, she wasn't nearly as surprised as she was at his sudden actions but at the warmth he was emanating even if it were only a light touch. He was warm, and she was cold. Could he be the warmth she was looking for?

Ideas began to formulate in her head as she eyed him quite predatorily, Gray beginning to feel wary of her next actions. As he was about to move back a bit, Erza began her experiment as she suddenly grabbed the mage, wrapping two arms around his torso as she brought him closer. She rested her head on his well built chest, sighing when she realised that her suspicions were correct.

While Erza enjoyed the warmth Gray radiated, Gray stood there like a gaping fish as his arms hung in midair, not knowing how to respond to the sudden situation. Erza had initiated a hug with him, and she didn't seem like she would be letting go anytime soon. Not knowing what else to do but the blatantly obvious, he pursued the blatantly obvious by wrapping his own arms around the girl, making sure that she was comfortable with his actions before pulling her closer. He closed his eyes tightly, praying that she wouldn't hit him though he highly doubted it, considering that she was the one who initiated the hug.

Instead of kicking him away, Erza tightened the hug as she inhaled his unique scent. Gray, who had felt her movements, instantly relaxed as he hugged her closer also, placing his head atop her own. Gray marvelled at how well the girl fit in his arms as he made the most of this situation. Who knows when Erza would hug him again so intimately? He could literally feel his heart beat out of his chest and he hoped that Erza wouldn't notice the sudden increase in the rate of his heartbeat. He didn't want her to know of his hidden feelings for her so soon. He wasn't ready yet.

"You're warm," she remarked bluntly, not a trace of surprise lining her voice as she tightened her hold on his waist. Gray could only raise an eyebrow. Was that supposed to be the reason behind the sudden hug? Not that he minded of course. If she needed warming up again, Gray was always more than happy to help.

It was ironic at how warm the ice mage could be. She had always thought that Gray would've had rather cold skin, just like how Natsu's skin always felt hotter than the average human's. It seemed that that was not the case as Gray's arms filled her with an unexplainable warmth that made her heart beat faster. Was he always this warm? It reminded her a lot of the warmth that Mr Snuggles gave her, but this warmth was different. This warmth had an underlying piece of love behind it.

Erza hummed contently against his chest, loving the sound of his heartbeat against her ear. "You're perfect," she sighed, causing Gray's head to jump up in shock.

"I'm perfect?" He squeaked in a rather unmanly way.

She nodded against his chest. "You're just right for me," she continued, Gray's heart beating even faster against his ribcage as his face began to glow a bright red.

"I'm just right for you," he repeated in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. Did she hold mutual feelings also?

"Yup," Erza reaffirmed as she pulled away from his suddenly, Gray having to resist a pout at the sudden coldness against his skin. He missed her warmth greatly.

Just as suddenly as she pulled away, Gray was thrown over her shoulder like a potato sack as she lifted him up, carrying him to Mavis knows where. He gaped at her sudden action as he tried struggling against her grip. Why was she the one carrying him? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? And where the hell was she taking him? Gray scratched his head confusedly as Erza stopped his movements by tightening her hold on him. She continued walking in the direction of Fairy Hills, a bewildered Gray on her shoulder.

"Where are you taking me?" He finally uttered, getting dizzy at watching the ground beneath him move.

"Home," was all she replied with as she continued walking. It seemed that he didn't seem to have any effect on her walking at all. Wasn't he heavy? Erza was one strong woman then, though he never doubted that for a minute. She could easily break his skull if she wanted to, which he hoped she never wanted.

Within five, ten, who knows how long minutes, the two had arrived at Fairy Hills. Of course Gray wouldn't have known, being stuck on the girl's shoulder like that as she began to climb some stairs. Gray had difficulty figuring out where they were as he had never seen the interior of Fairy Hills before. Guys weren't allowed in the female dormitories after all.

From what he could make out however, wherever they were was definitely not his home. It was much too big and clean to be his house. Then was it Erza's? At that thought, Gray's head snapped back up where he found himself being carried into a particularly long room. He noticed a large blue rug decorated with orange and green clovers and various stands across the walls that were set up with armor? Armor meant only one thing—

"What the fuck am I doing _here_ Erza? Why are we at Fairy Hills? I'm not supposed to be here!" Gray exclaimed when the reality had dawned upon him. He really was in Erza's room. It was unusually large to be considered just one room though. How many rooms did the woman rent? And of course, why was he here?

Erza ignored his questions as she went straight to the room designated as her bedroom. Only when they were inside did she finally place the squirming ice mage down. Strangely enough, the mage had lost his shirt again which was funny considering that she was sure he was wearing it the whole journey.

Gray looked around in both bewilderment and curiosity before he noticed the bed behind him to which he started to panic. "Why am I in your bedroom Erza? I'm not even supposed to be here," he muttered nervously, straining to tear his eyes away from the bed.

Erza said nothing as she scrutinised him closely before moving away to one of her drawers to look for something. She opened the top shelf and rummaged to the bottom until she felt the familiar headband. With a delighted grin, she pulled out the object as she turned to him excitedly. "Wear this," she ordered, handing him the rabbit ears. They were pink in colour, closely resembling Mr Snuggles, and were flopped in mimicry of her beloved rabbit. If Gray was to be her Mr Snuggles replacement, he had to look the part also.

Gray stared at the bunny ears as if it were a foreign object capable of ending his life through one touch. He looked at her in disbelief as she watched him expectantly. "Are you serious Erza?" he exclaimed incredulously, still not making any move to take the ears.

She shot him a hardened glare. "Are you not going to take it?" she challenged. Gray gulped when he noticed the familiar no-tolerance tone of voice she was using and the intense glare directed toward him. Seeing no chance to escape without getting severely injured, Gray reluctantly took the rabbit ears, handling it as if it were poo filled diapers.

With a resigned sigh, Gray finally placed the bunny rabbit ears on, cussing inwardly to himself at his pitiful situation. How did he end up wearing bunny ears in Erza's bedroom? Erza's grin widened when she realised how well he suited the ears. He looked so cute, she inwardly remarked as she marvelled at the accessory.

"I put the blasted bunny ears on Erza. Are you finally going to tell me why you brought me here?" Gray asked impatiently, crossing his arms to hide his embarrassment. Thank Mavis that Natsu wasn't there to see him like this. The dragon slayer would never let him live it down.

"You're sleeping with me," she answered without a thought. She didn't seem to understand the implications behind her answer as Gray began to closely resemble a ripened tomato due to the colour his face had begun to take. He was blushing profusely, his mind going into overdrive at her unintentional innuendo.

"S-Sleeping with you?" He gulped, trying to rid himself of all the mental images his mind was conjuring up.

She seemed to be oblivious to the state she had put the ice mage in, humming in response rather casually. "Yes, you'll be sleeping with me. You see, ever since I lost Mr Snuggles–"

Gray interjected when he had finally processed what she had just said. "Mr Snuggles?" He asked, the name feeling foreign on his tongue. Who the hell was Mr Snuggles?

Erza nodded. "Yes Mr Snuggles. He's my stuffed rabbit I always go to bed with. You see, ever since I lost him I've been feeling unnaturally cold and I can't fall asleep because of it. Mr Snuggles warms me up and now that he's gone, nothing can warm me up anymore except, well, _you_," she explained, blushing at the last part. She hadn't realised just how awkward the situation had become due to her plans.

"Me?" He gasped out, pointing to himself.

"Yes you. Ever since I hugged you, I realised just how warm you are and it made me stop feeling cold. Because of this, I decided to take you home with me so that you can replace Mr Snuggles when I sleep," she continued, clearing away Gray's rather inappropriate thoughts. So she didn't mean sleeping that way. He was more than relieved to hear that. He didn't want to jump into something so soon.

"So I'm going to be your sleeping buddy?"

She nodded. "Pretty much. But if that's okay with you Gray. If it doesn't work out tonight, you could always go back home," she replied, feeling slightly upset when she added in the last part. She did hope that everything would go well. She didn't want to sleep in the cold anymore.

The wheels in Gray's brain began turning as he listed out pros and cons for the situation. The pros he had come up with included getting close to Erza, sleeping next to Erza, cuddling with Erza, hugging Erza, and so forth. The cons included getting kicked out but that was just about it. Honestly though, the mage hadn't needed a pros and cons list in the first place. He had already known his answer from the very beginning. "It's okay with me but on one condition," he proposed cleverly.

Erza raised an eyebrow but said nothing more as she motioned him to continue. "I don't have to wear these bunny ears. They hurt my head," he responded, pointing to the annoying bunny rabbit ears.

The requip mage pouted. But she really liked seeing him wear the bunny ears. "Fine," she reluctantly agreed, Gray cheering in response as he threw the bunny ears across the room. There was no was in hell he was ever going to wear those again. Though he did feel slightly guilty since Erza pouted and all.

He turned to her with a triumphant smile. "So what next?"

"We go to sleep of course." With that, Erza made her way to her bed where she picked up a few of the fallen blankets and placed them back onto the bed. She spread them neatly as she slid underneath, patting the spot next to her for Gray to sleep.

He nervously smiled at her as he moved toward her, hesitantly sitting down on the spot next to her. Erza silently giggled at the boy's nervous demeanour. She never knew just how innocent he could be. "I don't bite Gray," she remarked when she noticed his stiff position.

He loosened up after that, letting out an awkward chuckle. "Sorry about that. I'm just not used to sleeping next to a girl," he confessed sheepishly, rubbing the nape of his neck. Adorable, she gushed.

"It's fine. Now are you going to tuck yourself in or do you want me to do it?"

Gray blushed embarrassedly. "I'll tuck myself in thank you," he replied, finally sliding beneath the covers. He could feel Erza's closeness and it made his heart best faster. She was just a few feet away from being in his arms and he didn't think he could restrain himself.

Erza frowned when she realised that he wasn't going to come and hug her like she wanted him to. Deciding to take matters upon herself, she moved closer to him, placing an arm over his torso. This triggered an immediate response from Gray as he turned on his side, slipping an arm underneath her torso as he hugged her closer, inhaling her strawberry scent. He sighed contently as Erza's arms closed around him tightly, her head resting against his bare chest.

Wait, _bare_ chest?

"Gray," Erza mumbled, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Hmm?"

Erza moved her head upward slightly, the top of her head hitting his chin. "Where's your shirt?"

Gray bolted upright in that instant as he looked down at his shirtless form. He blushed in embarrassment for the nth time that morning. "Sorry about that Erza," he apologised sheepishly, Erza's eyes twinkling in response at his actions.

"It's fine Gray. Next time, just remember to bring a few spare clothes over. I have a feeling that this isn't going to be the last time you lose your shirt."


End file.
